Means for assembling lock cylinder components



April 23, 1968 R. wi.' BULLER MEANS FOR ASSEMBLING LOCK CYLINDER COMPONENTS Filed March 14, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR mel-ARD NLBULLER ATTORN E Y S lulu Pl ////////lllll| API 23, 1968 R. M. BULLER 3,378,908

MEANS FOR ASSBMBLING Loox CYLINDER COMPONENTS Filed March 14, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lullin/\\\@ "Ef "lllllllll L ii'lllllllll IIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIII n". @um um@ m-g m um INVENTOR FMC-HARD M. BULLER Sii/www@ ATTORNEYS April 23, 1968 R. M. BULLER 3,378,908

MEANS FOR ASSEMBLING LOCK CYLINDER COMPONENTS Filed March 14, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR RICHARD M. BULLER wma@ rmmf ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,378,908 MEANS FR ASSEMBLING LGCK CYLINDER COMPONENTS Richard M. Butler, Menomonee Falls, Wis., assigner' to Master Lock Company, Milwaukee, Win, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 534,163 4 Claims. (Cl. "Z9- 208) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLUSURE For the automatic assembly of pins, springs and drivers in plugs and shells for lock cylinders, the present invention provides a pair of intermittently driven assembly tables, one of which is a plug assembly `table which revolves in one direction, and the other of which is a shell assembly table which simultaneously revolves in the opposite direction. Through the movement of the tables an-d through certain compression operations, complete cycles are successively, automatically accomplished for the assembly of lock cylinders and their components. During the operation of the plug assembly table successive lock cylinder plugs are loaded with their selected tumbled pins, and during operation of the shell assembly table lock cylinder shells are loaded with springs and driver pins. Ultimately cach successively loaded shell on the shell table is assembled onto each successively loaded plug on the plug table for ultimate ejection as complete lock cylinders.

This invention relates to improved means for and method of assembling lock cylinder components.

Many types of locks, such as door locks, padlocks, keycontrolled permutation padlocks, automobile locks, locker locks and the like include a pin tumbler cylinder mechanism containing a keyway in order to give such locks better security in that many thousands of different key changes can be used or obtained by means oi placing pins and tumblers of varying sizes, lengths, and dimensions in any of a multiplicity of combinations or positions within the cylinder. in a better type of lock, the lock cylinder mechanism contains a plug, driver and tumbler pins, springs, and shell all of which are inserted into but are nevertheless separate from the lock body and case. In some other instances, in which there is no cylinder shell, the pins, drivers and springs are inserted into holes or borings in the lock -body or case, and then a separate plate is mounted over such holes or bores as a cover to hold said parts in place, which cover plate is then ground down to match or conform with the shape of the lock body or case.

It has heretofore been proposed to assemble the plug and tumbler pins as a sub-assembly, and the shell, driver pins and springs as a second sub-assembly. The plug may contain a rvarying number of previously machined radial bores into which the pins are to be inserted. The subassembly of the shell, driver pins and springs is accomplished on a false Iplug or arbor (small wooden shaft or bar). After the pins and springs have been assembled into the cylinder shell and arbor, they must be compressed into the tail of the cylinder shell, so that they clear the arbor, and the shell with the pins and springs may then be slipped or passed olf of the false plug or arbor onto the real cylinder plug. This is often accomplished by slotting the arbor diametrically so that a blade may be inserted through the plug hole of the shell into the slot adjacent the upper ends of the pins and springs whereby the latter are compressed into the shell tail, after which the shell is rotated slightly to eliminate registry of the pins relative to the arbor bores whereby the springs are restrained from pushing the pins back into the arbor. Next, the

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blade is withdrawn. In the prior arrangement under discussion the steps of inserting the blade, compressing the pins and springs, yrotating the shell assembly, and uniting the two sub-assemblies was done by human hands, which is objectionable and costly because of the skill and time required in attaining the intricacies and multiplicity of motions required.

The same objections also apply to a prior alternative practice wherein the pin holes in the cylinder shell were drilled through the tail, so that the yplug and shell could be rst brought together, followed by the insertion of the tumbler pins, drive pins and springs into the open holes in the tail, with the springs being compressed, followed -by the application of a cap or covering -plate over the shell tail holes to close them.

With the yforegoing in mind it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a unique means Afor automatically assembling lock cylinder components wherein the pin bores or holes are blind or partially drilled, and which apparatus eliminates the objections inherent in the prior arrangements and furthermore eliminates tedious and costly manual assembly operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus for assembling pins, springs, and drivers in plugs and shells for lock cylinders, a pair of driven assembly tables wherein one table is a plug assembly table which revolves in one direction, and the other, known as the shell assembly table, revolves in the opposite direction, whereby, through the movement of the tables and through certain compression operations, complete cycles are successively, automatically accomplished for the assembly of such lock cylinders and their components.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unique apparatus for the automatic assembly and completion of an entire pin tumbler lock cylinder. The stated ends are accomplished by the use of compressing probes to compress pins and springs into holes formed in the rounded portion of the shell and the simultaneous slight rotation of the shell to retain the pins and springs in position, eliminating the need of a slotted arbor, blade, and many varied and intricate human hand motions; the compressing probes, being smaller in diameter than the drilled holes, compress the driver pins and springs into blind or partially drilled holes in the shell, after which a slight turn imparted to the shell locks the pins and springs into the tail of the shell. This eliminates the use of fully drilled holes with the additional retaining plates or the like to close said loaded holes; all of the foregoing being accomplished by the use of two independent assembly tables so arranged and synchronized so as to sub-assemble on one of them and then transfer the sub-assembly to the other table, whereby the assembly operations are automatically completed.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide `a mechanism `for automatically assembling lock cylinders through the rotary movement of two circumferentially adjacent assembly tables, combined with the .action of air cylinders and predetermined movements, lwhereby the two assembly tables make certain stops for the performance of certain operations at fixed stations lfor the purpose of loading the plugs on one table with tumbler pins, concurrently loading springs and driver pins into the shells on the other table, followed by the successive transfer of the loaded shells from one table onto the loaded plugs carried by the other table to complete the assembly of the lock cylinders.

The further object of the invention is to provide, in association with certain control and operating mechanism, a pair of rotatable tables which are intermittently rotated to predetermined positions or stations whereat, and through compression operations, pins, springs, and driv- 3 ers of varying sizes and lengths are automatically inserted into blind holes in lock plugs, whereby through these operations complete cycles are accomplished by the rotating tables for the automatic assembly of the complete lock cylinders.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a machine for assembling lock cylinder components, a pair of intermittently rotatable, circumferentially adjacent aS- sembly tables on which the automatic assembly of lock cylinders is performed simply, expeditiously, and mei chanically, said lock cylinders being susceptible of use as parts of various types of locks.

Still further objects of the present invention are to provide a novel means for assembling lock cylinder components which is etlicient and expeditious, which is commercially practical, and which is otherwise well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved means for assembling lock cylinder components as hereinafter described and all of its parts and combinations, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

FIG. l is a vertical sectional view of the improved apparatus for assembling lock cylinder components showing the plug feeding cylinder, the peripherally adjacent plug and shell tables, the shell transfer cylinder and a sleeve operated thereby and actuating mechanism;

FlG. 2 is a horizontal View talten approximately along the line 2 2 of PEG. l;

FIG. 3 is a semi-schematic plan view of the circumferentially adjacent plug and shell tables;

FIG. 4 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view showing a compressing probe and shell arbor and the activating arm, with the compressing probe in its raised inoperative position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional View similar to FIG. 4 only showing the compressing probe in its lowered operative position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional View showing in end elevation the air cylinder for turning the cylinder shell corresponding to station 6 on the shell transfer table of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view showing the action at station S of the shell table of FIG. 3 with the activating arm and connecting rod so actuated that the probes enter the cylinder shell and pass through the arbor to compress driver pins and cylinder springs into the tail of the cylinder shell, there being shown a fragmentary portion of the shell table in which is mounted a sleeve and its roller whereby the assembled shell may be slipped from its arbor onto an adjacent assembled plug; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view, part broken away and in longitudinal section, of a typical lock shell and plug assembly .iwith the driver springs, driver pins and tumbler pins in place therein, pursuant to the present invention.

In connection with the following description relative to the improved means for assembling lock cylinder components, it can be stated that in general the improved apparatus is dependent upon the utilization of a pair of circumferentially adjacent but independently operating yassembly tables, one of which, designated by the numeral llt) in the drawing (see FiG. 3), is a plug assembly table, and the other of which, designated lll the drawing, is a shell assembly table. One table, as the plug assembly table lll, revolves intermittently in a counter-clockwise direction and the other table, the shell assembly table il, simultaneously revolves intermittently in -a clockwise direction. During the rotation lof the plug assembly table lil certain operations are performed at spaced stations which results in the successive loading of the plugs on said table with tumbler pins. Concurrently, at spaced stations during the intermittent rotation of the shell rases d assembly table lll, springs and driver pins are loaded into shells on said table il and when the loaded shells on table ll successively reach a station on the shell table ll circu-mferentially adjacent a station on the plug table for successive registration with loaded plugs, there will lbe successive transfers of the loaded shells from the table ll onto the loaded plugs carried by table itl to complete the successive assembly of lock cylinders followed by movement of the table 10 to a position where the assembled shells and plugs are ejected in completed condition.

The tables l0 and il derive their simultaneous intermittent rotation from a drive shaft l2 (see FIGS. l and 2) which is connected to a source of power (not shown). Mounted `fast on said drive shaft 12 to be turned thereby are a pair of grooved cams 13 and 14 with the groove 15 in the plug table earn t3 being pitched in a direction opposite to the pitch of the groove f6 in the shell table cam lli. The two tables lil and Il are provided with vertical bearing sleeves 17 and l5, respectively, to turn on xed posts i9 and Ztl. The base portions of the respective bearing sleeves 1.7 and 18 have afxed thereto sets of radially extending cam roller hubs 2l and 22, respectively, which carry cam rollers 23 and 24. The set of cam rollers 23 are for engagement with the grooved plug table cam 13, while the set of cam rollers 24 are for engagement with the grooved shell tab-le cam 14, and, thereby, intermittent motion is imparted to the two sleeves 17 and 18, through the cam roller hubs 21 and 22, to simultaneously intermittently revolve the tables l@ and il in the desired directions.

The various gears constituting a train of gears are designated by the numeral 2S, land one of the gears 2S of the train is fast on the drive shaft l2 to be turned thereby. The intermediate `gear 25 of the train is carried by a stub shaft 26 which also carries a bev-el gear 27 which is one of a train of bevel gears, all of which bear the same designation and which are arranged partially around the bearing sleeve 18 for the shell table ll, all as is best shown in FIG. 2. The bevel gears 27 of the train are mounted on stub shafts and on some of these stub shafts, at certain stations relative to the rotation of the shell table, as will hereinafter appear, said stub shafts carry fast thereon cams 23 which are engaged by lower cam rollers 29 mounted on shafts projecting horizontally from the base portions of vertical connecting rods 30.

For convenience in explaining the staged operation of the shell table 1l as well as that of the plug table l0 there are shown in the schematic view thereof in FG. 3 a plurality of iarcuately-separated work-performing plug table stati-ons 1-8, inclusive. Also there are arcuately spaced-apart shell table stations -S, inclusive. The connecting rods 30 carry at their upper ends horizontal activating arms 31 which extend inwardly radially adjacent certain of the stations` around the face of the shell table il. The face cams 28, being driven by the bevel gears 27 through the engagement of the cam rollers 29, give vertical movement to the connecting rods 30, and hence to the activating arms 31 which carry mechanisms adjacent the several shell table stations and impart vertical motions to the mechanisms at said operational stations, as will hereinafter be explained.

Before explaining the roperations at the various stations on the tables it might be well to refer to a complete loclr shell and plug assemblage of which the showing in FIG. 8 is typical. The numeral 32 designates the bored plug and the latter is surrounded by a shell 33 which is of less length than the plug and encloses the plug in a manner so that the plug may turn in the shell. The shell is of less length than the plug, but the shell, in a complete lock assemblage, is anchored against turning movement by a lateral. extension 33 confined within a suitable recess therefor in a lock body when the lock mechanism is completely assembled. The lateral extension 33 of the shell is provided with a series of bores 34 closed at their outer ends but opening at their inner ends through the inner wall `of the main cylindrical portion of the shell 33. Each bore 34 has mounted therein against a spring 35 a reciprocatable driver pin 36, said driver pins all being of the same length. The plug 32 is also provided in one wall portion with a series of transverse bores 37 open at one set of ends and which, -when the plug and shell are assembled, align with the shell bores 34 and form eontinuations thereof. Adapted to :be reciprocatably mounted within the plug lbores 37 are tumbler pins 38 which, in a given assemblage, are of predetermined varying lengths. It may `be further stated that when the assemblage is locked the spring-urged driver pins 36 may project the tumbler pins 38 inwardly so that the condition of FIG. 8 results, with the driver pins extending partially into the bores 37 of the plug to thereby prevent relative turning movement between the plug and shell. However, when a proper key (not shown) is inserted into the slot therefor in the plug, the tumbler pins 38 are forced outwardly to urge the driver pins 36 yout of the plug bores 37 so that the abutting ends of the series of pins 36 and 38 lie along the line of separation of the plug 32 and shell 33 to permit turning movement of the plug relative to the shell.

With this brief description of a lock plug and shell assembly, with its component pins and springs, it will be evident that the invention is concerned with mechanisms which cause the assembly of the tumbler `pins 38 into the plug bores and the assembly of the driver pins 36 and their springs into the shell bores. It should furthermore be repeated that on table 10 the tumbler pins are successively inserted into the bores of the successive plugs carried by the table 10, while on the table 11 the driver pins 36 and springs 35 are assembled into the successive shells so that when each shell reaches a predetermined position or station it is loaded and ready to be transferred onto the adjacent plug on the plug table 10.

The sequence of operations at the various stations traversed by the tables 10 and 11 Will now be described, and these can best be followed by referring to FIG. 3. At station 1 on the plug assembling table 10` a cylinder plug 32 is transferred from an oriented position adjacent which there is a supply of said plugs to a plug holder or blade 39 by means of a conventional air cylinder 4t). The intermittent rotation of the plug table 10 in a counterclockwise direction by means of the drive mechanism previously described turns the table through an arc to station 2 relative to the plug table which is an idle station. The next motion of the plug table carries the plug to station 3 thereon where the desired number of selected tumbler pins 38 are inserted into the plug bores by a conventional pin selector and assembler (not shown and which devices are `vell known in the art). Then, the table motion carries the loaded plug to station 4, which is an idle station. Thereafter the table motion carries the loaded cylinder plug to station 5 of table 10 which is peripherally adjacent station 7 on the shell assembly table 11, and at which point an assembled shell is slid from its false plug or arbor 41 onto the loaded plug at station S on the plug assembly table. This action is also accomplished by a conventional air cylinder 42 exerting pressure on a journaled roller 43 (see FIG. 1) which slides a sleeve like that designated 44 in FIG. 7 toward the left relative to the drawings and transfers the cylinder shell 33 onto the adjacent plug 32 on the plug table at station 5. The sleeve is then caused to reciprocate back to its normal position. After the mounting of a loaded shell onto a loaded plug is accomplished at station 5 of the plug assembly table the next table motion carries the assembly to station 6 where an operation not essential to the present invention is performed. The next intermittent rotary motion of table 10 brings the assembled cylinder to station 7 where another operation is performed on the assembled plug and pin which may be to stamp thereon an identifying number to indicate the plan of assembly of the pins (not shown). The final table motion turns the table with the assembly under consideration to station 8, which is the ejection station, and the assembled plug and shell, constituting a lock cylinder 45, are pushed radially outwardly free of the plug holder or blade 39 by any suitable means such as an air blast, solenoid pusher, or mechanism hook (not shown). Successive plug and shell assemblies 45 ejected at station 8 of table 10 are suitably collected and removed for assembly into the lock bodies.

The complete sequence of operations which take place on the shell table 11 will now be described. At station 1 a cylinder shell 33 is transferred from an oriented position adjacent the periphery of the table 11 and adjacent a supply of cylinder shells onto a false cylinder plug or arbor 41. This is accomplished by the action of a conventional air cylinder 46. The intermittent rotary movement imparted to the shell table 11 carries the shell on its arbor 41 to station 2 relative to the shell table where burnishing probes (not shown) enter the pin holes or bores in the shell to remove sharp edges therefrom. The burnishing probes are carried and actuated by an operating arm 31 mounted on a vertically-movable post 30. The next table motion carries a shell to shell station 3 where the various tumbler springs 35 are inserted into the shell bores by a conventional mechanism controlled by an activating arm 31 and vertically-movable post 30 generally similar to the showing in FIGS. 1 and 7. From station 3 the table turns to station 4 where the driver pins 36- are inserted into the shell bores by a conventional escapement mechanism (not shown) controlled by an activating arm 31 and verticallymovable post 30.

Next, the shell table turns to station 5 where the operations can be best understood by reference to detailed FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 of the drawings. From FIG. 7 it will be observed that the free end of the arm 31 carries a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart compressing probes 47 which are shaped as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and wherein there is one probe for each shell bore. The manner in which the operating arm 31 is caused to drop from its raised position of FIG. 4 to its lower compressing position of FIGS. 5 and 7 has previously been explained, and this motion results from the gears 27 driving a cam 28 which is engaged by a post-carried cam roller 29 to translate vertical reciprocatory movement to the post 30 and its horizontal arm 31. We have also heretofore noted that at the shell table station 3 the tumbler springs 35 were inserted into the shell bores and at shell table station 4 the driver pins 36 were inserted. Now, at station 5 the compression of the springs 35 and proper location of the driver pins 36 is accomplished. From the position of FIG. 4 the sub-assembly which includes the probes 47 is lowered until the position of FIG. 5 is attained, it being understood that there is one probe for each loaded bore in the shell and its arbor. The action of the compressing probes 47 forces the driver pins 36 into the tail portion 33 of the shell against the compressed springs 35. The driver pins 36 thus are completely out of the bores of the arbor 41 and the angled portions 47 of the probes engage surface portions of the shell adjacent the ends of the bores therein, and this causes the shell to rotate a few degrees to bring the bores in the shell out of registry with the bores in the arbor 41, all as is shown in FIG. 5. This results in a condition wherein the driver pins 36 are prevented from moving into the bores of the arbor under the force of the springs 35 because the misalignment of the respective bores in the shell and in the arbor creates abutments whereby the driver pins and the compressed springs are then retained within the tail portion 33 of the shell.

With the loaded shells in the condition shown in FIG. 5, the next intermittent rotary movement of the shell table 11 carries the shell to shell section 6 in FIG. 3 where the shell is rotated to a position approximately from its original position through the action of a conventional air cylinder 48 (see FIG. 6). Thereafter, the next intermittent rotary movement of the shell table 11 carries the loaded shell to shell table station 7 where the assembled shell is slid from its arbor by a sleeve 44 onto the loaded plug at station on the plug table, all as was heretofore described. Station 3 on the shell table 11 is an idle station to which the portion of the table 11 under consideration next moves, and at this time the cycle of operation has been completed and everything is in readiness for the specied portion of the shell table to thereafter move to shell table station 1 to start a new cycle.

It should, of course, be understood that both of the tables and 11 revolve intermittently simultaneously so that as functions are being accomplished at a specied station relative to tables 10 and 11 other functions are being accomplished at the other stations. During the normal operation of the improved machine upon each table movement through an arc a completed cylinder assembly is being ejected at station 8 of the plug table.

The improved apparatus for assembling lock cylinder components is of course characterized by the companion, circumferentially adjacent plug and shell tables which are simultaneously, intermittently turned in opposite directions, with Iboth tables being simultaneously brought to rest at the various stations where the operations are performed. During the operation of the plug table successive lock cylinder plugs are loaded with their selected tumbler pins and during the rotary advancements of the shell table to the various stations thereadjacent, lock cylinder shells are loaded with springs and driver pins. Ultimately each successively loaded shell on the shell table is assembled onto each successively loaded plug on the plug table, followed by a further movement of the plug table to advance the successively-assembled shells and plugs (a lock cylinder) to a point of ejection.

The timed operations of the mechanisms at the various Stations are accomplished by any suitable means. For this purpose applicants apparatus could be associated with a tumbler lock pin setting machine of the type shown in the Roland Patent No. 3,226,811, by way of example.

For use in the present apparatus, the pin bores or holes are blind or only partially drilled, and the driver pins and associated springs are compressed into bores therefor in the fin or extension portions of the shells and are so retained through a slight rotary movement imparted to each shell, which feature eliminates the need of fullydrilled holes or bores and additional retaining plates for closing the loaded bores.

The machine of the present invention is simple, expeditious and commercially practical, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

Y1. An apparatus for completely assembling lock cylinder components comprising: a plug table, mechanical means for successively Amounting on spaced peripheral portions of said plug table lock plugs with blind bores therein, a shell table, means for successively mounting lock shells on spaced peripheral portions of the shell table, peripheral portions of said tables being in adjacency, power means for turning said tables in opposite directions, mechanical means for successively inserting tumbler pins into the blind bores in the lock cylinder plugs carried by the plug table, mechanical means for automatically successively loading the lock cylinder shells carried by the shell table with tumbler springs and driver pins, and mechanical means for thereafter successively telescoping lock cylinder shells from the shell table onto successive lock cylinder plugs on the plug table when peripheral portions of the tables move into adjacency.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power means for turning said tables operates intermittently and the means for inserting tumbler pins into the lock cylinder plugs, the means for loading the shells with tumbler springs and driver pins, and the means for telescoping shells onto lock cylinder plugs all operate between intermittent turning movements of the table.

3. In an apparatus for assembling lock cylinder components including a movable table carrying adjacent its periphery a plurality of spaced apart bored arbors, each of the latter having mounted thereon a lock cylinder shell formed with a lateral extension having bores therein initially in registry with the arbor bores, power means for turning the table, mechanical means operative during a cessation in the movement of the table for loading the shell extension bores with driver pins and springs, and power operated reciprocatable probe members for thereafter forcing said driver pins and springs into the bores of the shell extensions.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said probe members, after forcing said driver pins and springs into the bores of the shell extensions, impart slight turning movements to the shells to move the shell extension bores out of registry with the arbor bores for retention of the pins and springs within the shell extension bores.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,237,359 4/1941 Ott. 2,853,769 9/ 1958 Stahl 29-203 3,111,748 11/1963 Doll et al. 3,218,699 11/ 1965 Maese 29-200 X 3,226,811 1/1966 Roland.

THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

